Spring-motor



(No Model.)

W. H. POWELL.

SPRING MOTOR.

Patented Dec. 8, 1885.

Mag() UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. POVELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPRING- MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 332,000, dated December 8, 1885.

Application f'led May I3, 1885. Serial No. 165,346. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. POWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring- Motors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical central section of the motor 011 line x x of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan View.

My invention has relation to that class of spring-motors which employ a series of coiled springs arranged in boxes and so connected that in unwinding the power exerted is that or the equivalent of one spring only, while the period of time covered by the running down of the series is the aggregate of the times of u'nwinding of the springs separately taken.

Heretofore a difculty has been experienced in obtaining the -full effect of the springs, in View of the fact that generally the entire weight of the series of springs and of their boxes has been imposed upon and sustained by the central shaft, producing a very considerable amount of friction, which interfered with the development of the full power of the springs, so that much of the force ofthe latter remained latent or not exerted for any useful purpose. To overcome this difficulty, I provide a construction whereby the weight of the springs and their boxes is transfeir d from t'ie shalt and sustained by the frame of the motor or by supports external to said shaft.

My invention accordingly consists of a spring-motor having a series of two or more springs and boxes containing the same, with a central sectional shaft, said springs and boxes being sustained on the frame of the machine or on a support external to the shaft, substantially as set forth.

My invention further consists in the combination, with the springs, boxes, and central sectional shaft of a springmotor, ofa support for said springs and boxes external to said shaft, and anti-friction rollers interposed between said boxes and support, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A

' designates the central shaft, which is madein sections A A2, &c. rI`he lower section, A', is made fast in the base B, and in effect forms a post. inasmuch as it does not rotate. The upper end of this section A has a socket, a', which receives the stepped or tenoned lower end, a2, of the siiperjacent section A2, the socket and tenon being round, so as to permit the section A2 to freely revolve on its vertical axis.

C and D represent two reversely Wound springs, one being wound right and the other left, arranged in a box or casing, E. Said box or casing is made in two sections or divided horizontally at e. to permit the introduction of the springs, the sections being then rigidly secured together. rIhe outer ends kof the springs C and D are fastened to the box E, their inner ends being fastened, respectively, to the shaftsections A A2. The shaft-section Az extends above the box E and half-Way through a superjacent box F, which has two springs, G and H, similar in construction and arrangement to the springs C and D, the spring G having its inner end attached to the upper half of shaftsection A2, the inner end of spring H being attached to the lower half of shaft-section A3, which is stepped in the upper end of section A2, and the outer ends of said springs G and H being secured to the walls of box F.

The j ust-described construction and arrangement of sectional shaft, springs, and boxes are already well known; the same as my invention; but heretofore the springs and boxes have been so arranged that their weight was sustained by the central shaft. To avoid this, I support the lower box on antifriction rollers i i, secured in brackets on the base, and I provide a similar support for the upper box, F, consisting ofaring, K, sustained on the posts L L or exterior frame-work of the motor. Said ring has lugs k k, by means of which it is connected with the posts, and it has anti-friction rollers k k, upon which the box F rests and rides.

By means of the foregoing-described construction the central shaft is relieved of the weight of the springs and their boxes, and the latter are provided with anti-friction supports, thereby reducing resistance to the springpower to a minimum and allowing the full force of the springs, or as much thereof as it is possible to obtain, to be usefully exerted.

hence I do not claimrI`he foregoing description presupposes that the axis of the central shaft is vertical. If, however, the motor be arranged with the shaft horizontal, the described results sought to be accomplished may be achieved by providing peripheral anti-friction supports, as shown in dotted lines m m in Fig. 2, which represent anti-friction rollers. These rollers Will have the effect, also, of preventing lateral play of the boxes should the shaft-sections wear loose on their centers.

What I claim as my invention is as follows:

l. A spring-motor comprising a central sectional shaft,right and left Wound springs,with boxes and asupport for said springs, and boxes external to said shaft, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, in a spring-motor, of a central sectional shaft, right and left Wound springs having their inner ends respectively 2o connected to different sections of said shaft, boxes or casings for said springs, and antifriction rollers having bearings on supports external to said shaft, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of May, 1885.

WILLIAM H. POWELL.

Vtitnesses:

LIsLE STORES, M. D. CoNNoLLY.

Corrections in Letters Patent No. 332,000.

It is hereby certified that upon the application of William in Letters Patent No. 332,000, granted December 8, 1885, H. Powell, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvanie., for an Spring Motors, errors appear improvement in in the printed specioation requiring correction as follows: The comme after the word springs in lines 14 and 15, page 2, should be stricken out; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may contorni tothe reeord of the case in the Patent cnice.

Signed, counter-signed, and sealed this 22d day of December, A. D. 1885.

[SEAL] A H. L. MULDROW,

Acting Secretary of the Inte-rior.

Countersigned:

R. B. VANOE,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

